Vancouver (Rajeev Sharma): A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has sentenced a Vancouver man to life imprisonment, with no possibility of parole for 11 years, for the 2024 killing of Alexander Lo, the brother of Kai-Ji Adam Lo, who is accused in the Lapu-Lapu Day car-ramming attack that claimed 11 lives.
Forty-one-year-old Dwight Kematch pleaded guilty in July to second-degree murder. During sentencing proceedings on Friday, Kematch acknowledged the “ripple effect” his actions had on Alexander Lo’s family, including his brother, who is currently in a forensic hospital facing separate criminal proceedings.
Crown prosecutor Mark Myhre told the court that Kai-Ji Adam Lo attended the sentencing virtually. The alleged Lapu-Lapu Day attack case has not yet been heard in court.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Kematch and Alexander Lo met through the dating app Grindr and met at Kematch’s Vancouver residence shortly after midnight on January 28, 2024. The two went to Kematch’s bedroom and began engaging in consensual sexual activity before the situation escalated violently.
The court heard that Kematch, who was intoxicated, suddenly began assaulting Lo, first using his fists and later a hammer and a knife. Kematch’s sister and brother-in-law, who were in the house, heard Lo screaming for help. The attack stopped only after the brother-in-law intervened and threatened to call police.
Emergency responders were called, but Lo was unconscious and life-saving efforts failed. Kematch was arrested at the scene.
Myhre described the attack as “absolutely brutal,” noting that Lo was particularly vulnerable due to his smaller physical stature. He told the court Kematch had an opportunity to stop the assault when a weapon was taken away but chose not to.
In a joint submission, the Crown and defence sought the mandatory life sentence for second-degree murder, with parole eligibility set after 13 years, reduced to 11 years after credit for time already served. Justice F. Matthew Kirchner accepted the submission, calling the attack “truly horrifying,” while also noting some signs of rehabilitation in Kematch’s conduct while incarcerated.
The court heard Kematch had a prior criminal record dating back to before 2004, including convictions related to arson and animal cruelty. Defence lawyer Jim Heller cited Kematch’s traumatic upbringing, substance abuse issues, and the intergenerational impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples as mitigating factors.
A victim impact statement from Alexander Lo’s mother, Lisa, described profound emotional and physical suffering following her son’s death. She said she attempted suicide, was hospitalized for weeks, and has since been unable to work due to depression, leaving her family in financial distress.
Alexander Lo’s friend Richard Hesketh told the court that Lo was creative, kind, and full of life, studying makeup and special effects and deeply valuing his friendships.
Addressing the court, Kematch apologized, taking responsibility for the killing and acknowledging the harm caused to Lo’s family. He described his life prior to the crime as marked by alcoholism and self-loathing.
The judge also imposed a lifetime prohibition on Kematch possessing firearms or other prohibited weapons. Kai-Ji Adam Lo is scheduled to appear in court in February in connection with the alleged Lapu-Lapu Day attack.
